Andre Burakovsky and Oscar Dansk will have familiar faces around them while playing for gold at the IIHF World Junior Championship in their native Sweden.

There will be family and friends, and even a couple of Erie Otters teammates.

But Connor McDavid and Adam Pelech aren't there for a visit. They are there to win.

"Canada and World Juniors, it's pretty special," McDavid said of the IIHF World Junior Championship, the prestigious annual international tournament that runs from today through Jan. 5 in Malmo, Sweden. "They expect (to win) the gold medal at any level, especially World Juniors. It's been a couple of years ago since (Canada) won gold."

Canada has managed only two silver medals (2010, 2011) and a bronze medal last year since capturing gold for the last time in 2009. Meanwhile, Sweden has a chance to win the championship at home after earning gold in Calgary, Alberta, in 2012 and losing to the United States in the title game in Ufa, Russia, last year.

Of course, these four teammates appreciate the chance to play against each other.

"It's going to be fun to play against these guys," said Burakovsky, whose Swedish club wouldn't face Canada until the medal rounds since these nations are in different groups for the preliminary round. But they will be all business for the next two weeks.

"There are lots of expectations," Pelech said.

As Dansk said, "We want to win the tournament."

They face plenty of pressure while playing for World Junior glory. But Dansk said they deal with pressure every day.

"We live with pressure every time we step on the ice," he said. "I don't really think it's going to be anything out of the ordinary."

Motivation comes in different forms for these players.

Dansk was on Sweden's silver-medal team last year. But he didn't play in any games as the third-string goaltender. Now he's focused on being the host nation's No. 1 in net.

"It's up to us to compete for a spot," he said. "(After) gaining some experience last year, I'm going in with a mindset of taking the first spot."

Burakovsky was an alternate on Sweden's 2013 team. Now the Austrian-born winger can showcase his skills in his adopted hometown of Malmo and in his former home rink, Malmo Arena.

"I'm just going to go out there and play like I can," said Burakovsky, who played for Malmo in the Allsvenskan Swedish league a season ago. "A lot of speed, do great things with the puck, get the other players on my line the puck and probably score some goals. That's what I'm going to do."

McDavid becomes the first 16-year-old to play for Canada since Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby in 2004, and one of only six players in all headlined by Hockey Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky. "That will be a really special opportunity," McDavid said. "I'm really looking forward to getting the opportunity to play."

Pelech wants to represent his country after being cut from the pre-tournament camp last year.

"It's something that every kid in Canada watches growing up and dreams that they can play in one day," he said. "It's going to be a huge honor for me."

And if these teammates cross paths on the ice, they will appreciate the opportunity. "That would be pretty special," McDavid said.

VICTOR FERNANDES can be reached at 870-1716 or by e-mail. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/goeriehockey. Read the Shootout hockey blog at GoErie.com/blogs/shootout and post comments.